Aberrant recruitment of mural cells to lymphatic vessels during pulmonary fibrosis. (A) Immunodetection of mural cells (SMA) and Lyve-1–positive vessels in fibrotic lungs of mice treated with bleomycin (Bleo; 10 mg/kg body weight twice a week intraperitoneally) and in healthy controls of mice treated with PBS (100 μL twice a week intraperitoneally) at day 28. Fibrosis is shown at early, intermediate, and late stage. Scale bars equal 100 μm. (B) Quantitative analysis of Lyve-1–positive vessels with SMA-positive mural cells in lung tissue of bleomycin-injected and healthy control mice at day 28 (controls n = 6; Bleo n = 8). (C) Quantitative analysis of VEGFR3-positive lymphatic vessels with SMA-positive mural cells in lung tissue of bleomycin-injected and healthy control mice at day 28 (controls n = 5; Bleo n = 5). (D) Quantitative analysis of Prox1-positive lymphatic vessels with SMA-positive mural cells in lung tissue of bleomycin-injected and healthy control mice at day 28 (controls n = 5; Bleo n = 5). Error bars show SEM.